Ryan White and National Youth HIV and AIDS Awareness Day

Ryan White and National Youth HIV and AIDS Awareness Day

April 10, 2017

TARGET Center

Twenty-two percent (22%) of new HIV cases in 2014 in the United States were among young people (ages 13-24), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cases are overwhelmingly among gay/bisexual men, particularly African Americans. Close to half of HIV-infected youth were undiagnosed and thus not linked to care. Of those diagnosed, 78% were linked to care within 3 months, which is a lower rate than seen in other age groups.

The role of this HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, therefore, has heightened importance to not just raise sensitivity to HIV/AIDS but to encourage young people to adopt safer practices, get tested, and, if infected, engage in care.

As the generations pass, it seems that fewer people are aware that the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program was named after Ryan, a young man who fought AIDS discrimination in the early years. He died 25 years ago, about the time the legislation was enacted.

RWHAP clients have higher rates of retention in care, and better viral suppression, compared with national data. The same holds true for younger RWHAP clients (ages 13-24 years). However, RWHAP clients 13-24 do not fair as well as older RWHAP clients. Their retention in care rate is lower (76.3%) than the national RWHAP average (80.6%) and viral suppression was much lower (68.6%) than the RWHAP average (83.4%).

TA, Training Including Youth

HRSA's HIV/AIDS Bureau funded a series of new technical assistance and training initiatives in late 2016, targeting various topics and populations, including youth and young adults living with HIV. They include projects focused on building care capacity in the south, use of community health workers to engage people in HIV care, health care coverage and health literacy, integrated planning, and leadership training for people of color.